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Paul R. Lehman is professor emeritus of music
in the School of Music of the University of Michigan.
Music makes a difference in kids' lives. It exalts
the human spirit.  It
enhances the quality of life. Since the 1930s it has been taught
in almost every school in the nation. Although the quantity and
quality of music instruction vary widely, generations of young
people have learned a basic repertoire of music and have learned
to understand and appreciate music in school. Many students have
learned to sing and play instruments, sometimes at a very high
level.
Still, the music program that was acceptable
in the twentieth century will be inadequate in the twenty-first.
Both the nature of society and its expectations for its schools
are changing. This chapter will describe a vision for music education
in the year 2020. It is not a prediction of what will happen but
a summary of what educators should aim for.
Defining a music program for the future involves
describing not only the curriculum but also the learners, the
teaching staff, the preparation of teachers, and teaching materials
and strategies. The expectations expressed here are intended to
apply to all students and all schools. They are intended to ensure
both equity and quality in music education. Although they may
be unattainable in the short term, these expectations are appropriate
for a democratic society and, with the necessary political will
and public support, are in fact attainable eventually. The auxiliary
verb "will" is used throughout rather than "should"
to emphasize that this description represents a clear and distinct
vision for the future and that these expectations are feasible.
The expectations are intended to suggest opportunities and not
rigidity or authoritarianism.
The program described here is based on the National
Standards for Music Education1 and
on those state and local standards that are themselves based on
the National Standards. These standards seek to ensure that the
music curriculum in every school is grounded in high expectations
and an optimal learning environment for all students. They reflect
the best practices found in current schools. It is these practices
that should provide the models for schools in 2020.
The National Standards for Arts Education,2
which include the National Standards for Music Education, were
published in 1994 by the Music Educators
National Conference. Developed under the guidance of the National
Committee for Standards in the Arts, they were designed to represent
a national consensus of the views of organizations and individuals
representing educators, parents, artists, professional associations
in education and in the arts, public and private education institutions,
philanthropic organizations, and leaders from government, business,
and labor. The standards specify what every student should know
and be able to do in music at the end of grades 4, 8, and 12.
They provide a coherent vision of what it means to be educated
in music; a foundation for building a balanced, comprehensive,
and sequential curriculum in music; and specific assistance in
improving the music program. They apply to every student through
grade 8 and to every student enrolled in music beyond grade 8.
The National Standards include nine content
standards in music:
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with
others, a varied repertoire of music
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4. Composing and arranging music within specified
guidelines
5. Reading and notating music
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing
music
7. Evaluating music and music performances
8. Understanding relationships between music,
the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history
and culture
The National Standards were intended as models
for states and local districts, and almost every state has now
developed standards, frameworks, or statements of expectations
in the arts. Although the terminology may vary from state to state
and year to year, the concept of standards, expressed as statements
of what students should know and be able to do as a result of
instruction, will likely continue to exert a strong and positive
influence on education in the United States. The term "standards"
in this chapter refers to whatever standards—national, state,
or local—provide the basis for the music program in a particular
state or school district.
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